


With a Little Bit of Stardust

by CrimsonCrimes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fred Weasley Lives, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Potions Accident, Romance, Severus Snape Lives, Teacher-Student Relationship, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-10-23 11:07:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10718178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonCrimes/pseuds/CrimsonCrimes
Summary: In which Harry accidentally sabotages one of Snape's research potions that turns the teacher's world upside down.





	1. Accidents Do Happen

**Author's Note:**

> Haha, I'm not even done with the other one but here I am making another new story, which will also take awhile to update. I'm not dropping either stories and will eventually finish them as soon as I can.

The war was finally over.

Voldemort was good as gone and the Wizarding World were—or still in this case—celebrating their liberty and peace. Of course, there were many lives lost, and many things to repair at the cost of the war. An abundance of funerals were held as people cried to say goodbye to their loved ones that had perished. However, there had been plenty of tears of joy, relief, and liquor to go around as each magical household rejoiced through festivities at their newfound freedom. It was as if all year contained nothing but merriments.

And Harry Potter was undoubtedly in those revelries. If not in all—but in the majority of them.

To which, he was sick of.

He stared at the people surrounding him, as they all celebrated at their victory, each one hugging the other, talking, or was just down-right drunk. The different coloured Muggle lights—found by either George or Fred, he wasn’t sure which— that were on were making his head spin as people began to dance to the loud music. He began to feel quite claustrophobic as the room seemed to narrow down in size when the crowd got bigger and bigger.

He wished that he had some place to go to in order to escape but there weren’t any. At least none which he had a reason to visit to. He cursed himself. He should have known better than to let the Order members use Grimmauld Place as their party place. He heaved a sigh as he scanned the horde of people; seeing if his friends were anywhere there.

They weren’t.

Well, there was Ron but he seemed too drunk off his arse that he probably won’t understand a single sentence he’d say anyways.

And Hermione was probably studying to catch up with their academics since they will start having lessons back at Hogwarts again tomorrow as to finish their seventh-year.

He exhaled. He spied the tiny corner of the room, almost hoping that if he went there, no one would notice him trying to hide though he snorted at the idea of it. If he actually did just that, it would be like having an elephant with polka-dots entering the room. Everyone would still notice The Boy Who Lived _Twice_ when he went anywhere. He just wished he was sneaky enough that everyone would continue with whatever they were doing. He wished he was just like…

Snape.

Huh. The man almost never crossed his mind. Sure, he was still very grateful for the protection he had given to him throughout the years but they never really spoke. Not even when he was healing at St. Mungo’s. Not that Harry didn’t want to but he never had the time with everything that’s been happening as he hadn’t had the time to sit and chat. But now… he wondered what he was doing. His presence was abysmal when it comes to the social gatherings that the adolescent wasn’t sure if he even went to one. He was almost never seen even in the press that some people speculated that he died in the war.

But the young wizard knew better. He knew that he was staying at Hogwarts since Professor McGonagall offered him his old position as Potions Master back when he gave up his Headmaster title. From what he recalled the last time, he was helping around the castle as well as doing research for his own personal study. He was finally able to do what he wants without the whims and call of two masters.

He smiled at the thought.

The man _definitely_ deserved his peace after all.

On the other hand, maybe he could pay him a visit. Besides, he hasn’t given him the proper appreciation that he had for everything he’s done and the flashy music as well as lights was really getting into him. And maybe he could ask a few questions from him about his mother. With that thought, he silently stood up and was about to go upstairs to _apparate_ but was stopped mid-step when a hand held his shoulder. “And where do you think you’re going Harry?”

He slowly turned and smiled. “Hi, Ginny.”

The redhead scanned him briefly.

“Escaping?” It sounded more of a statement than a question.

Was she going to tell anyone? He wondered.

He swallowed. “Yeah.”

She smiled at him and kissed him fleetingly on the lips.

“Come back by midnight.” He grinned back as they let go of the other.

He watched her go back to the merry-making as he _apparated_ to his destination.

* * *

 

He was about to knock on his door just as a voice said, “Enter.”

He came in the room, seeing his old potions classroom for the first time in many months. He sort of expected it to look at least slightly altered because of the war but it seemed just as if it were in his memories. Clean working tables that were aligned perfectly parallel to the other, the unwelcoming chilly floor that multiple students have spilled their potions on, as well as the shelves that were filled with mysterious constituents and preserved animal parts made Harry almost reminisce of their first year on how innocent and simple they were all like back then. When their only problem was of a certain dour wizard.

He shook his head at the thought.

And naturally, in the area, was the older wizard that he came to see. His potions professor was hunched on his working table, mixing liquids, slicing different types of substances, and checking the temperature of his main cauldron. He could easily tell that the man was in his element as he worked gracefully from one action to another, remaining swift yet precise. He said nothing as he watched him continue with his work. He watched Snape crush several daisies with a pestle before the man finally acknowledged him.

“I believe you didn’t come all the way here Mister Potter, just to watch me work.”

The brunette watched his teacher as he emptied the crumpled flowers into the pot as the potion effervesced into a white frothy hue. The boy rolled his eyes at the sarcastic greeting and smiled at him in response. “Good evening to you too, Professor.”

The former spy began to mix an odd-coloured bluish powder into a flask before adding a drop of it into the core concoction creating a soft sapphire flare within its vessel. The boy just continued to watch him; mesmerized by his movements as well as the brew that was bubbling gently, when the Potions Master finally stopped on his movements and arched a brow at him as if questioning him on what did he want.

“Oh, umm sorry Professor— got distracted for a moment there,” Harry said sheepishly, “I’m just here to ask…errrr...how have you been sir?”

“Pardon?”

“How have you been Professor? I just noticed sir that you haven’t been to any of the celebrations ever since you recovered from St. Mungo’s. I just wanted to see you sir.”

Snape studied the young wizard before him carefully and abruptly sneered. “And why were you so engrossed about my health again, Mister Potter?”

He was taken aback. “Sir?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “No need to play coy with me Potter, let me remind you that you have not contacted me ever since you found out that I recovered fully well from my injury; and since Gryffindors are truly atrocious liars, I would like to know why you have decided to visit me on this dreary evening.” He snapped. He glared as his depthless black eyes seemed to pierce Harry’s green ones that made him swallow nervously.

Note to self: Never _ever_ try to trick a former spy and Master _Legilimens_.

He knew he can’t try to lie out of this one.

“Well...” He adverted his eyes to the ground; his guilt apparent for the older man to see. “I wanted to ummm…have some peace and quiet away from all the gatherings.”

“So you thought of coming here to get a time-out from your popularity?” He began to walk a few paces away from his work desk; his face chockfull with mockery as he shook his head. “My, my, traveling into desperate waters now, have we?”

“You have no idea Sir.”

“If that is all,” He was about to continue his brew when the adolescent suddenly interrupted him.

“Sir?”

“What is it?” He growled as he stopped bothering to hide his irritation.

“Can you please tell me…what my parents were like?”

“Haven’t you already had enough of my memories to know what they were like?” He scoffed but Harry could tell he was uncomfortable with the topic as he began to cross his arms.

“I just…” He paused for a moment. “It’s just… different Sir to hear it from the actual person himself. I’ve always wanted you to tell me directly what my parents were like since no one else,” _Alive_. “knew them quite as intimately as you did Sir.” He took a step forward. “So please sir, I would really appreciate it if you could tell me about them.”

He waited for the adult’s reply but was met with silence.

His piercing emerald eyes beheld Snape’s gaze with such intensity that he abruptly stopped staring and turned his back from him.

“I believe Mister Potter that it’s getting late.” He said softly.

“But Sir—“

“Good night Mister Potter.”

He watched the Potions Master retreat into his chambers, probably to escape from the Chosen One’s barrage of questions about his past.

He sighed.

He was alright to let the older man have his much desired solitude, however, Harry wanted know more about him and his parents. After all, he was one of the only ones—if not the only one— left that personally knew them. He wanted him to know that he was very much appreciated for his efforts in the war and for saving him multiple times.

But for him to leave so abruptly…

Maybe it was best to ask in a different time.

Harry resolved to gather his thoughts and leave when he noticed something boiling softly inside of one of the cauldrons on top of the main worktable. He decided to approach it as he curiously peered over the metal. ‘Huh, that’s odd.’ He thought.

The potion was a shiny pale opal blue that had silver bubbles frothing gently on the surface. He watched, fascinated as the bubbles burst into tiny stars before falling back into the liquid. He observed the same action happen a few more times as it was quite mesmerizing to gaze at.

He was rather sure that he never saw the potion before on any of his text books.

He was so distracted by its beauty that he leaned closer when he accidentally touched the heated iron. “Fuck!” He cursed as he abruptly removed his hand. His elbow unintentionally knocked a nearby beaker stand; causing whatever was in the container to plunge deep into the cauldron. Inwardly panicking, he grabbed the vial with the stirring rod in haste, putting said container back in its stand and _scourgifying_ it to make sure that it seemed as if it never fell.

The former tri-wizard champion cautiously scanned the room if Snape came back. Seeing that not even a creak of the door was heard, he shifted his attention back over at the bubbling fluid to which seemed to have no difference even after the incident.

Perhaps the vial was empty this whole time.

He let out a breath that he was holding.

The former headmaster would surely gut him out alive if he did something to one of his potions, especially if this one was part of his research so he considered himself lucky that the ampoule was empty.

Not one to look at a gift horse in the mouth, the young wizard quickly fled from the scene.

Unbeknownst to them, a certain light teal potion shot upward like silver fireworks before settling back into the pot in its original foaming state.


	2. Not What He Expected

He sat at the edge of his bed, alone with his thoughts. 

 

He should've known that Boy Wonder would come barging in, asking more about his parents. He just wished that he would just leave him alone in peace as he now felt restless as his mind tried to tackle on different ways on avoiding him but knowing fully well that it was futile as the Golden Trio would be back to Hogwarts again by dawn. Though he was quite fortunate really, that when he was still recovering that the young wizard did not visit him except for one time that he was luckily unconscious.  To which Severus would say, ' Thank goodness for small favours.'

 

He glanced at the clock, grimacing when he found out it was already a bit past midnight. Scolding himself that he should've taken a nap in the afternoon, he stretched. He  felt his body truly needed a rest right now as he had stayed up the previous nights; just to finish his research potion. As soon as he tests it out, he will have it patented and keep it within his person for a while. He hasn't truly decided yet as what to do with his brew as he just stumbled upon it by accident.

 

He was just fortunate that he was there at the Forbidden Forest that night when that star fell. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to complete his experiment.

 

Speaking of his research....

 

He came near the door, waiting to see if any sound escaped from the Potions classroom. There was none. He waited a few more seconds and when he was sure that Potter had left the premises, he looked around, and sighed in relief. 

 

He entered the room once more. 

 

Seeing that nothing was seemingly amiss, he turned off the flame from the cauldron with the flick of his wand, and inspected it. It looked just as it should. He had boiled the concoction so much until what was left was its pure essence which was at the bottom of the cauldron. He removed the potion from its vessel and placed them into a small test tube--no smaller than his pinky finger and placed it onto his test tube stand.

 

He was about to return to his chambers when he paused. Why not take the potion before he slept? When he first tested it on the nifflers it took a while to work, and since testing it on said nifflers didn't give him the specific amount of its effects, he needed to try it on himself. The recipe was safe enough since he had already removed or stabilized all its negative side effects. So why not?

 

With that thought, he took the potion from its stand and drank three quarters of the mixture into his mouth. Placing the remaining of the concoction into a phial into his robe’s breast pocket, he returned to his bedroom, undressed for the night, and succumbed to sleep.

 

_______________________________________________

 

Fuck. Why the hell was there a distant ache in his head? Was it just him or was it really chilly down here? Not to mention that the bed now seemed irritatingly hard,  and his pillows way too soft.

 

He swore under his breath. He glanced blearily and groaned as he slept only for a few hours as his head throbbed uncomfortably.

 

Are these some of the potion's side effects that he wasn't able to jot down? _Merlin_...He needs to change that immediately, it felt as if his senses had gone off-kilter.

 

He sat up from his duvet and stretched.

 

That was …odd. The usual residual pain from his neck was gone. Ever since the incident from the Shrieking Shack, his nerves at his neck was still recovering from the venom that was gifted to him by Nagini, despite the skin on the surface to be fully healed. Due to this, he still had to go to the infirmary for a daily check-up as he brewed his own pain potions for the remaining ache. But Severus had grown accustomed to this ritual for months, so to feel that his body didn't have its usual dull throbbing pain immediately sent him on edge.

 

He rubbed his eyes ferociously and looked down at himself. 

 

What the actual _fuck_?

 

He panicked. He threw off the blankets away from his form and nearly stumbling as his sleepwear seemed larger, he raced to the bathroom.  He was about to approach the pane of glass when he hesitated. The mirror was there, almost beckoning as well as taunting him to take a proper look at himself. He took a deep breath, and ever so slowly looked.

 

And saw his eighteen-year-old self.

 

How the _hell_ did this happen?!

 

The potion was only supposed to set him back a year or two, not bring him back to his state of adolescence! He was so certain he had the recipe perfected, not to mention no one else was in the room when he finished…that was except for…for…

 

_“POTTER!!!”_

 

His shriek rang out in the wee hours of the morning, echoing in the spacious castle.

 

A certain green-eyed boy was sleeping soundly, twitched a bit in his slumber as if he heard his name for a second, then went back deep into the Land of Nod.

___________________________________________________________________      

                                                                                                                                           

Hermione was excited to say at the least. To be back at Hogwarts, and to have a relaxing school life with her friends was what she needed after the effects of the Battle of Hogwarts. She was ecstatic at the chance to be able to finish her education in a peaceful period of time especially now that she knew she could start her apprenticeship with Madam Pomfrey right away as she studied for her N.E.W.T.S.

Yes, Hermione Granger wanted to become a Healer.

This was inspired by the war, when she remembered the frantic stampede of people panicking, carrying a friend or a loved one dying in their arms, going in the infirmary needing help when they only had a few people that knew how to assist. She remembered all of it. The shouting, the crying, and the desperate pleas for help. It was one of the only times she could ever remember being helpless. 

She had hated being helpless. 

She had held a student's hand as she desperately asked for help from the other medi-witches but all were busy trying to save the others. So she had watched other people die slowly, as they clinged to her hand trying desperately to stay alive.

They were only around her age, probably much younger to succumb to such a fate.

So this year, despite how calm everything was, she swore to herself that she won't let anyone die just because there would be lack of help or lack of knowledge on how to do so. She will guarantee to study hard this year to help the other people and the veterans of the war. But for now, she'll make do to enjoy her time remaining at Hogwarts.

At the moment, she entered at the Gates of Hogwarts with her friends as they chatted amiably to what courses they were going to take. They had decided to arrive rather early during lunch time rather then join in the first years that will be coming that evening as they had a certain feeling of being ogled at by them when they arrive. It may be inevitable, but they'd rather spend their time freely while they still can.

They were met immediately by Hagrid who gave them each a warm smile and hug as he escorted them into the Great Hall to which so far, only staff members were present.

Although they protested at first (Ron being the only exception), they were asked to join their professors at lunch at their table since their weren't any other students and they meekly complied. Hermione could see that many of their professors were returning this year as she smiled and chatted with them as she answered on how their break was, and what they planned to do after their education.

She was chatting with Professor Flitwick about the latest charms that were recently discovered when she finally noticed two people missing.  
   
"Professor, where's the Headmistress and Professor Snape? Wasn't he to return this year?" She asked curiously.

"Oh yes, he will," The Charms Professor replied. "There was just some sort of mishap that happened with Severus regarding a potion of his, I believe? All I know is that he demanded the Headmistress' presence in the early hours of the morn, and both has not returned since."

"I see..." She frowned.

A loud choking noise was heard as she looked at her left as Harry coughed from his pumpkin juice. When it subsided, he immediately looked at their professor and asked,   "Did he get hurt?" he asked worriedly.

"I don't believe so, but seeing that it's Severus, I'm sure he's alright." He reassured them.

"Alright Professor, I'll take your word for it." He mumbled.

As the usual chatter continued on the table, Hermione rose a brow at Harry. She could tell that he was anxious for Professor Snape but something was off. Harry began to squirm a lot in his seat, was deep in concentration, and picked at his food. When she asked him on what was the matter, he quickly assured her that he was fine despite his now pale complexion.

She knew Harry too well.

Something was definitely up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If one would notice, I'm still new to the world of Harry Potter so I might not get everything quite right ^^;
> 
> This is just my personal take on what happens with a de-aged Severus.


End file.
